The arrests, announced during a midday press conference at city police headquarters, were the result of a three-month investigation and were a follow-up to last year's Operation Clean Sweep, in which more than 100 people were arrested in Kingston, police said.

Three of the suspects in the latest sweep were arrested Wednesday evening, and 11 were arrested Thursday morning. The other seven, police said, were arrested previously.

Fourteen of the 21 people arrested already have been indicted by an Ulster County grand jury, police said.

Most of the people arrested in the sweep were charged with criminal sale of a controlled substance for allegedly selling crack cocaine, powdered cocaine and heroin, police said. Some also were charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance and possession of a hypodermic instrument. Three also were charged with weapons possession.

Police described the suspects as street-level and mid-level drug dealers.

Robertson said the arrests eradicated the Kingston arm of a gang called the Dime Boys, which was moving in from Newburgh. Some of the others arrested in the sweep were members of the Crips and Black Out gangs, police said.

Ulster County District Attorney Holley Carnright said sweeps like this one do more than take drug dealers off the streets. "It makes the city of Kingston a safer place and therefore Ulster County a safer place," he said.

Carnright said one of those arrested was released from prison a month ago and that four others were on parole.

"What this does is it clearly helps the quality of life throughout the city of Kingston and the county," Gallo said.

Arrested in the sweep were:

o Kayla Araujo, 22, 115 Old Stage Road, Saugerties, for criminal sale of a controlled substance and criminal possession of a controlled substance.

o Lakeisha L. Gibbs, 28, Ulster County Jail, for criminal sale of a controlled substance and criminal possession of a controlled substance.

o David Gillen, 48, Kingston, for criminal sale of a controlled substance and criminal possession of a controlled substance.

o Robert M. Goodine, 18, Ulster County Jail, for criminal sale of a controlled substance, criminal possession of a controlled substance, criminal possession of a weapon and unlawful possession of marijuana.